Norman Nawrocki

Norman Nawrocki (born in Vancouver, British Columbia), is a Montreal-based comedian, sex educator, cabaret artist, musician, author, actor, producer and composer.[1] Nawrocki together with Sylvain Côté were the founding members of "rock 'n roll cabaret" band Rhythm Activism. Nawrocki owns Les Pages Noires, through which he has published twenty albums and three books.

Norman Nawrocki
Norman Nawrocki at Chaotic Insurrection Congress
Background information
OriginVancouver, British Columbia
GenresCabaret, punk rock, post rock, spoken word, Klezmer
Occupation(s)Comedian, sex educator, cabaret artist, musician, songwriter, author, actor, producer and composer
InstrumentsViolin, vocals, viola, cello, tsymbaly, piano, accordion, concertina, percussion
Years active1985 – present
LabelsLes Pages Noires
Associated actsRhythm Activism, Bagg Street Klezmer Band, The Flaming Perogies, Bakunin's Bum, DaZoque!, The Montreal Manhattan Project, Bush's Bum, SANN
WebsiteLes Pages Noires

Early life and education

Nawrocki was born in the East End of Vancouver to Polish/Ukrainian Canadian parents.[2] He attended Langara College and Simon Fraser University, and co-edited the university's newspaper The Peak. He left without graduating.

Career

In 1993, Nawrocki created I don’t understand women! , the first of several anti-sexist, sex positive, comedy cabarets on the topic of date rape, sexual harassment and violence against women.

In 2001, Nawrocki and Godspeed You! Black Emperor drummer Aidan Girt formed a duo called Bakunin's Bum, named after the anarchist philosopher Mikhail Bakunin.[3] Their recording, Fight to Win! was released in 2001 on G7 Welcoming Committee Records as a benefit for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and featured spoken word by anti-poverty activists over instrumental music.[4]

In 2002, CBC Radio’s Montreal Matters commissioned Nawrocki to write a series of six short plays Don’t Call Me Bob ; relating the life of a payphone in one of Montreal's poorer neighbourhoods Côte-des-Neiges. In 2004 he wrote, recorded and released his first solo album Duck Work.

By the end of 2005 Nawrocki was teaching a course at Concordia University's School of Community & Public Affairs on The Arts, Radical Social Change and Community Economic Development.[5] As well as starring in Uncle Eddie's guide to art appreciation, by Donald Goodes.[6]

On 25 February 2010, Norman Nawrocki has signed, together with 500 artists, the call to support the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israeli apartheid.[7]

Bibliography
  • Rhythm Activism live (1987) (Les Pages Noires)
  • Resist much – obey little (1987) (Les Pages Noires)
  • Rebel moon : anarchist rants & poems (1997) ISBN 1-873176-08-2 (AK Press)
  • Chasseur de tornades (1998) ISBN 2-9803993-7-X ; ISBN 2-9805763-0-1 (EDAM Montréal ; Les Pages Noires)
  • No masters! No Gods! : dare to dream (1999) ISBN 0-9697112-2-0 (Smarten Up! & get to the point)
  • The anarchist & the devil do cabaret (2003) ISBN 1-55164-204-2, ISBN 1-55164-205-0 (Black Rose)
  • L'anarchiste et le diable : voyages, cabarets et autres récits (2006) ISBN 2-89596-026-7 (Lux Editeur)
  • Breakfast for anarchists (2006) (No Bar Code Press)
  • L’Anarchico e il Diavolo fanno cabaret, il Sirente, Fagnano Alto (AQ) 2007, ISBN 978-88-87847-11-6. Original Title: The Anarchist And The Devil Do Cabaret
  • RED: Quebec Student Strike and Social Revolt Poems (2013) ISBN 978-2-9805763-5-5 (Les Pages Noires) Distributed in the United States and Europe by AK Press

Discography
  • I don't understand women! (1994) LPN012 (Les Pages Noires)
  • Less Rock, More Talk: Spoken Word compilation (various artists) (1997 ; 2000) ISBN 1-873176-84-8 ; virus254 (AK Press Audio ; Alternative Tentacles)
  • Duck Work (2004) LPN018C
  • Letters from Poland / lettres de Pologne (2006) LPN020C

Bakunin's Bum
  • Fight to Win! : a benefit CD for OCAP Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (2001) G7021 (G7 Welcoming Committee)

Bush's Bum
  • 2TONGUE #5 (various artists) (2004)

DaZoque!
  • DaZoque! (2002) LPN016C (Les Pages Noires)[3]

The Montreal Manhattan Project

Draft 1.0 (2004) LPN017C (Les Pages Noires)

Rhythm Activism
  • Rhythm Activism (1986) LPN001 (Les Pages Noires)
  • Rhythm Activism Live (1987) LPN002
  • Resist Much, Obey Little (1987) LPN003
  • Louis Riel in China (1988) LPN004
  • Un logement pour une chanson (1990) LPN005
  • Fight the Hike! (1990) LPN006
  • Perogies, Pasta and Liberty (1990) LPN007
  • Oka (1990) LPN008
  • War is the Health of the State (1991) LPN009
  • Oka II (1992) LPN010
  • Tumbleweed (1993) LPN011
  • Blood & Mud (1994) LPN013C
  • More Kick! : live in Europe (1995) LPN014C
  • Buffalo, Burgers & Beer : a 10 year retrospective (1995) LPN015
  • Jesus Was Gay (1998) G7006 (G7 Welcoming Committee)
  • Return of the Read Menace (various artists) (1999) G7010
  • Take Penacilin Now (various artists) (2005) G7040

SANN : Sylvain Auclair & Norman Nawrocki
  • SANN : Sylvain Auclair Norman Nawrocki (2005) LPN019C

Videography
  • Musiques Rebelles Québec [Rebel Music Quebec] (various artists) (2002) (Productions Multi-Monde) [8]
  • Uncle Eddie's Guide to Art Appreciation (2005) (Infringement performance)

Rhythm Activism
  • That's the way we tie our shoes : a recipe by Rhythm Activism (1996) (Unbend films ; Les Pages Noires)
  • Alive and kicking : the first ten years of Rhythm Activism (1997) (Les Pages Noires)
gollark: ... do you want me to simplify my explanations, or something?
gollark: Plus, you can't get discussion between multiple people like this.
gollark: Yes, the different style of interaction is also problematic.
gollark: It's not as if it's secret classified information.
gollark: Meh. This way it's useful to anyone else who decides to search for information on this later!

References
  1. Norman Nawrocki Les Pages Noires Accessed 15 October 2006
  2. "Album by 'rebel wordsmith' to benefit migrant workers". Montreal Gazette, 3 February 2017.
  3. "DaZoque! DaZoque!". Exclaim!, By Eric Hill 1 January 2006
  4. "Bakunin's Bum Fight To Win – A Benefit For OCAP". Exclaim!.
  5. "Norman Nawrocki launches benefit album". Concordian, Sandra Hercegova 9 February 2017
  6. Norman Nawrocki's biography Les Pages Noires Accessed 15 May 2007
  7. Tadamon!: 500 Artists Against Israeli Apartheid
  8. Welcome to Rebel Music Quebec Rebel Music Quebec Accessed 11 May 2007

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